By: Ryan Balba
Life Course Scholar
"Where are you from?" the petite, older woman asked me.
This had been the fourth time she had asked me in the span of 10 minutes. I didn't mind. This woman, who we'll call Eloise, was a woman of Creole descent, was born in rural Texas, and has resided in San Diego for a majority of her life. She was just one of many elderly adults who participate in St. Paul's Child Care & Senior Day.
"I'm from Los Angeles, but not really Los Angeles—it's more like a suburban town that borders the actual city," I replied with a smile.
Eloise, however, wasn't the only one to ask that question that day. Before briskly walking up to the facility, my Life Course Scholars cohort and I had visited the St. Paul's PACE facility at the base of the hill. It was here that I was originally asked questions about my hometown that day. It was also here that two older women told me brief anecdotes about their experiences in San Diego. As I’m reminiscing about this experience and reminiscing about my Life Course Scholars experience as a whole, one thing comes to mind—place. A sense of place is a common thread that has linked me to many of the elders that I’ve met during this program—whether it’s one of them asking me where my hometown is or it’s someone nostalgically telling me about their childhood in New York City decades ago, I find myself constantly thinking about how much one’s environment can and does affect them. More specifically, I’m drawn to the idea that not just location, but the actual built environment greatly affects who you are as a person—both physically and mentally.
This is why I’m so excited to be a member of the Life Course Scholars. It excites me that I get to delve deeper into how the built environment, more specifically the physical city of San Diego, can work to facilitate health aging. In a time when people are increasingly living longer and increasingly aging in place, I believe that this work is more important than ever.
Life Course Scholar
"Where are you from?" the petite, older woman asked me.
This had been the fourth time she had asked me in the span of 10 minutes. I didn't mind. This woman, who we'll call Eloise, was a woman of Creole descent, was born in rural Texas, and has resided in San Diego for a majority of her life. She was just one of many elderly adults who participate in St. Paul's Child Care & Senior Day.
"I'm from Los Angeles, but not really Los Angeles—it's more like a suburban town that borders the actual city," I replied with a smile.
Eloise, however, wasn't the only one to ask that question that day. Before briskly walking up to the facility, my Life Course Scholars cohort and I had visited the St. Paul's PACE facility at the base of the hill. It was here that I was originally asked questions about my hometown that day. It was also here that two older women told me brief anecdotes about their experiences in San Diego. As I’m reminiscing about this experience and reminiscing about my Life Course Scholars experience as a whole, one thing comes to mind—place. A sense of place is a common thread that has linked me to many of the elders that I’ve met during this program—whether it’s one of them asking me where my hometown is or it’s someone nostalgically telling me about their childhood in New York City decades ago, I find myself constantly thinking about how much one’s environment can and does affect them. More specifically, I’m drawn to the idea that not just location, but the actual built environment greatly affects who you are as a person—both physically and mentally.
This is why I’m so excited to be a member of the Life Course Scholars. It excites me that I get to delve deeper into how the built environment, more specifically the physical city of San Diego, can work to facilitate health aging. In a time when people are increasingly living longer and increasingly aging in place, I believe that this work is more important than ever.